


Who's That Guy?

by SpoonerGirl1



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Cheesy, Destiel - Freeform, Fergus Isn't Evil, Fluff, Gabe Has a Crush on Sam, Gabe ships it, M/M, Romantic Fluff, Rowena Isn't Evil, Sam Ships It, Sam is straight, Tropes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-02
Updated: 2016-10-02
Packaged: 2018-08-19 05:35:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8192155
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpoonerGirl1/pseuds/SpoonerGirl1
Summary: Dean Winchester and Castiel Novak keep catching glimpses of each other, and there's an attraction, but they never get the chance to talk. Their brothers decide to intervene.





	

**Author's Note:**

> ~~~~
> 
> This is my short, cheesy, slightly tropey, and fluffy homage to Buffy's Oz and Willow... Destiel-style.
> 
> ~~~~~
> 
> Thanks to DeadKleo for translating this fic to Russian. Here's the link: https://ficbook.net/readfic/4809247
> 
> ~~~~
> 
> The within the story +++ indicates a POV change.
> 
> ~~~~~

The first time Dean saw him, it was early September. Summer was over, and the leaves were changing. He was at the local big box store about a mile from his house, at 9 pm picking up a head of lettuce and some tomatoes, a six pack of beer, and a pie. The lettuce and tomatoes were for his tree-hugging, rabbit-food-eating younger brother, Sam. The pie and beer were to offset the blasphemy of a grown Winchester man buying produce. Dean was trying to decide between the only two pies left on the shelf - sugar free apple and key lime, neither of which seemed that appetizing. He picked up the less offensive sugar free pie and deposited it into the basket he was carrying, when a movement to his left caught his eye. A man in baggy blue jeans, a faded black t-shirt, and no shoes was zooming past him on the back of a cart that was loaded with chips, beer and frozen pizzas. _My kind of party!_ Dean smiled to himself. The man zipped by so fast that Dean almost didn't have time to register his handsome profile, disheveled dark hair and bare feet, before his cart rounded the corner.

Dean followed the path Cute Cart Guy had taken, only to find himself staring down an empty aisle. _Figures. I see a cute guy, and he disappears,_ Dean thought, then shrugged as he made his way back to the front of the store. He flirted a little with the woman at self-checkout, because he was bored and she had to help him when the machine accosted him for not bagging his items, when he sure as shit did bag them, the crappy machine just didn't register it, thank you very much.

Once out in the parking lot, Dean put his bags on the passenger seat of his beloved Impala, and looked up to see Cart Guy lot surfing his cart from the doors on the other side of the store, to his own car a few aisles over. Dean smiled and shook his head. _He’s really cute. I wonder who he is,_ he thought. On a different day, he might go talk to him, but it was late, and Sam was expecting him. He put his car in drive and made his way home, where Sam made BLT’s for dinner, using the lettuce and tomatoes that Dean bought. That was an authorized use of produce, so Dean decided he could forgive him, just that once. As an added bonus, sugar free apple pie wasn’t all that bad...with a few scoops of full-sugar French vanilla ice cream on top, of course.

+++

Castiel was on a mission: beer and pizza. It was the night of his older brother’s famous annual Novak Bonfire Bash, and they'd run out of the two most coveted items. He'd been sitting outside by the fire, barefoot and nowhere near tipsy enough to be subjected to his brother, Gabriel's latest stories about his pathetic pranks on a guy named Sam, when it was announced they were nearly out of food and drinks. Since he was the only sober one at the party, he offered to go on a supply run. He hopped in his brother’s car, wallet and keys in hand, sans shoes, and headed for the all-night SuperMart.

Once inside the store, he ran as he pushed a cart, then hopped onto the back of a it and rode it as fast as he could down to the beer and pizza aisle. He didn't even look at what he was putting into the cart - just loaded it up with chips, pizzas and twelve packs. He was riding the cart down past the bakery and deli, enjoying the feeling of flying down the empty aisles when he noticed the man standing near the pastries. The man was holding a pie in one hand and a shopping basket in the other, looking deep in thought, but he looked up as Castiel passed by.

 _Ooh, he's pretty,_ Castiel thought as he skidded the cart around the corner and cut down through the women's clothing aisle, before emerging on the other side of the store. He opted for the checkout with a bored-looking cashier rather than the self checkout line. Those damn things never worked right anyway. When the gum-snapping teenage boy with bright blue hair and an unfortunate acne problem finished scanning his items, and far too much money was spent on junk food and beer, he headed out of the store, hanging onto the back of the cart as he rolled to the car.

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

The second time Dean saw him, he was at his friend, Benny’s bar for a Halloween party. He was on stage playing guitar and singing harmony with Fergus, the drummer and Garth, the lead singer of their band, Croatoan. They were mainly a cover band, and they made decent money. Dean didn’t recognize the man at first, and watched him for a few minutes before he realized what was so familiar about the man who walked in dressed as a legit astronaut. The messy hair was a dead giveaway. He was carrying his helmet under his arm and having a bit of trouble holding his punch with his gloved hand. The outfit was bulky, and looked warm as hell, but the man was ridiculously adorable.

  
Between songs on stage, Dean leaned over to Garth and whispered, “Hey. Who is that guy?” He nodded towards a table in the corner, and Garth looked over to where the astronaut was standing next to a waifish woman with a mass of red curls on her head.

Garth shrugged and shook his head. “No idea, big man. The woman he’s with is cute, though, right? You think they’re a couple?”

“Hmmm,” Dean said, as they started their next set. The two people in question were sitting awfully close to each other, laughing and looking like they were happy. He figured he’d try and introduce himself to them when the band got to take a break later. He’d grab a beer, a plate of food, and make his way over to the maybe-taken astronaut with the beautifully messy hair. Until then, he'd be content watching him from his vantage point on stage.

+++

Castiel walked into the bar with his friend, wearing his brother's $1500 replica Apollo space suit. Yes, it was huge and bulky, and yes, he was already sweating, but he knew he looked cool as hell. His best friend, Rowena, was dressed as a Scottish maiden. It wasn’t much of a stretch, since she actually WAS a Scottish maiden. They'd met at the store he owned with his brother, next to where she’d opened up a store of her own after moving to the U.S. from Scotland a few months before. They made their way to a table, taking note of the other costumed patrons and of course, the band on stage, as they went. The band was covering an old Neil Diamond song, _rather well,_ Castiel thought, and the crowd seemed into it. He thought for a moment that he'd seen the guitar player somewhere before, but dismissed the notion. He didn't know anyone in a band, and it was his first time in that particular bar. It didn't stop him from glancing at the stage to watch the guitar player every so often, though. The man was quite striking, and he reminded him of the guy he’d seen briefly at the store that one time, buying pie.

By almost midnight, Castiel had downed more punch, and had stared at the guitar player, more than he'd ever admit to. It was getting late, and he was getting tired. Bars weren't his usual scene, and it was far more crowded than when he'd first arrived. He was sweating, and he really needed to get the suit back to his brother's house before he knew it was gone. He’d only agreed to come out so that Rowena could attend her first actual American Halloween party. He and Rowena had their heads together over the table, since it was the only way they could hear each other over the noise.

“Who's the cowboy?” Castiel asked Rowena, indicating the man on stage playing guitar. He had his cowboy hat pulled down low over his eyes, and he was rocking a tan duster, tight black jeans, a holster and shiny black cowboy boots. _Sexy as hell is what he is,_ Castiel thought.

Rowena shook her head and her curls bounced around her shoulders. “No clue, love, but tha’s a braw lad. Look a’ tha’ chin. It could inspire sonnets.”

Castiel hadn't noticed the man's chin. He snapped his eyes towards the stage, hoping to sneak a peek, and saw the man was already looking at him and smiling. Castiel blushed and quickly looked away just as his cell began to vibrate insistently. It was his brother. The jig was up. Castiel and the space suit were being requested across town. He ended the call and he and Rowena left the bar just as the last notes of the song were being played and some crappy house music took over the bar’s speakers. He didn’t notice the guitar-playing cowboy exit the stage, a disappointed look on his face as he watched Castiel leave.

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

The third time Dean saw the man, it was late November and he was sitting in his car at a red light after leaving Sam’s law office. He was daydreaming, waiting for the pedestrians to cross the street and the light to change. He'd finally gotten over his disappointment at not being able to talk to the cute Astronaut Cart Guy. He'd asked everyone he talked to at the bar if they knew who the astronaut was, but though most remembered seeing him, nobody knew his name. He finally gave up. If it was meant to be, it would eventually be. He was intrigued, though. Twice he'd seen him, and twice the dude had disappeared before he could catch him. The man was an enigma.

Dean glanced down to switch the station on the radio, and when he looked back up, there was the man he'd just been thinking about. And damned if the guy wasn't even better looking in a fur lined parka than he was as an astronaut. He couldn't help staring as the man entered the crosswalk and strode right past him. Just as he was passing in front of the car, the man lifted his head and turned to look in Dean's direction. Dean’s breath caught in his throat and he knew his mouth was open, but he didn't care. _Those eyes,_ Dean thought. The man's eyes, as ice blue as a glacier, were just about the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

A chorus of car horns sounded behind Dean, breaking him out of his reverie, and he saw the light had turned green. _Jesus, how long have I been sitting here?_ The man was already almost out of his line of sight, and heading into a building down the street.

“Who the hell IS that guy?!” Dean asked into the air around him as he put his foot on the gas and drove on. He took note of the building, though. There were two store fronts. A candy shop and what looked like a vintage clothing store. Something about those stores tripped a little memory, and he dug his phone out of his pocket to call Sam.

“Sammy! My favorite brother!”

“What’s wrong, Dean?”

“Geez, nothing, why?”

“You’re not nice to me unless you need something, or you’re hurt.”

“That’s not true, and I take mild offense to your assumption.”

“Spit it out, Dean. I’m headed to a meeting.”

“I saw him again. You know, the cart-surfing astronaut guy? I saw him go into that candy store, down the block from your office. The one next to...the ah, the vintage store…” Dean listened as Sam recited the stores’ names. “Yeah, was that the one you were telling me to check out?”

  
“Yes, and I can’t believe you haven’t gone in there yet, Dean. I told you about that place months ago.”

“Sammy…”

Sam sighed. “Fine, Dean. I just wish you’d listen to me when I tell you things. That's the vintage store with the guitar I thought you’d like, and there’s a leather jacket like the one dad wore. Oh, and the candy store? They make pie flavored candy, Dean.”

“Pie? You should have led with that bit of info, Sammy.”

“Jerk.” Sam almost hung up the phone, but an idea hit him. “Hey...you wanna have dinner tonight? Burgers at the diner?”

“Yeah, sure. Sounds good. Later, bitch.”

+++

Castiel was so cold his hands and feet were going numb. He wondered again, for the millionth time, why he didn’t own his own car. It was almost December, and it was downright freezing. He lived and worked right in the center of downtown, so it seemed like a waste to own a vehicle, but he’d give just about anything to be sitting in a car with the heat blowing over him while he waited for the light to change. While he was lamenting the cold, he took note of the no doubt very warm cars passing by, and his eyes were drawn to the classic Impala that rolled to a stop at the red light in front of him. _Nice. I bet it has an amazing heater,_ Castiel thought as the walk sign indicated it was safe to cross the street. He put his head down against the cold and stepped into the crosswalk, but he couldn’t help sneaking another glance at the muscle car.

His eyes must have bugged out of his head when he saw who was sitting in said muscle car. Guitar Playing Cowboy. Castiel gasped a breath of freezing air, and though his feet kept moving, he felt like he was walking in place, staring into those green eyes and... _are those freckles?_ He very nearly tripped as he stepped onto the curb, and double timed his steps up the sidewalk and into the store where he worked with his brother.

Castiel shrugged out of his thick winter coat and hung it up by the door. He walked over to the counter in somewhat of a daze, and sat down heavily on a stool by the cash register.

“What’s up, baby bro?” His brother asked.

“I saw him again.”

“Who? Oh, the pretty one with the chin? Did you talk to him this time?” Gabriel pulled up a stool and laid a hand on Castiel’s shoulder in an attempt at comfort. “Here,” he said as he handed his younger brother a piece of taffy. “Candy makes everything better.”

Castiel refused the candy, and sighed. He rested his chin in his hand, elbow on the counter. “He was in his car. Even the car was beautiful, Gabe. Classic and...sexy. Just like him. I think it was an Impala. An old one. Black and shiny…” Castiel sighed again.

“Hold up. A classic impala, you say? I’m pretty sure…” Gabriel was cut off by the sound of his cell playing Candy Man by Sammy Davis Jr., and Castiel let his mind wander to the pretty, guitar playing, muscle car driving, pie buying cowboy while his brother answered his phone.

“Yo, Samsquatch! To what do I owe the pleasure?” Gabriel listened for a moment. “No shit. Yeah...that’s what I was thinking.” He listened again. “Yeah, got it. Later, Gigantor.”

“Did you say Sam?” Castiel asked. “Was that guy you have a crush on?”

“It’s not a crush, and he's straight,” Gabe defended. “It's purely a platonic, flirtatious friendship that borders on the physical, sensual and carnal. At least...in my mind it does.”

“Jesus, Gabe.”

“If you saw him, you’d understand. Trust me. Anyway, yes, that was Sam. Nevermind about that, though. You’re going out with me tonight,” Gabriel said with a shit-eating grin. “I won’t take ‘no’ for an answer. Oh, and wear something sexy.” Gabriel waggled his eyebrows, and Castiel just shook his head. If there was one thing he learned growing up, there was no sense in trying to say no to his older brother. He’d draw the line at wearing something sexy, though. He didn’t own anything remotely sexy.

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

The fourth time Dean saw him, it was later that night, and he was sitting in a booth facing the front door of his favorite diner. They’d just been seated and Sam had excused himself to the bathroom. The bell on the front door jangled, and when Dean looked up from the menu, out of curiosity, the man with the arctic blue eyes was wrapped in his parka, staring at him. Dean forgot how to breathe. Standing in front of him was the gorgeous mystery man he'd been catching glimpses of for months. He wanted to talk to him, but there was a weird thing happening with his body...it was behaving like one of those scared goats that freezes up and falls over. He couldn't move, but he was fairly certain his face was red, and his mouth was hanging open. His only saving grace was Sam coming back from the bathroom.

“Gabe!” Sam exclaimed as Castiel's brother walked into the diner. “Fancy meeting you here.” Sam walked over and clapped a hand on the shorter man's back.

“Yes, Sam, fancy that,” Gabriel said with a grin as he looked up at Sam. “Cassie and I were just getting dinner before going out.”

“Why don't you join us?” Sam indicated the table where Dean was sitting, mouth now closed, but still staring.

“Love to, wouldn't we, Cassie?” Gabe said as he pushed his brother forward from where he was rooted to the floor.

Dean scooted over to make room for his brother to sit next to him as the short, wiley-looking guy and his gorgeous brother sat down across from them. He couldn't take his eyes off the mystery man, and he didn't trust himself to form words. He learned the man's name though. Castiel. _The name of an angel. A beautiful name for a beautiful man._ _Oh god, stick a fork in me, I'm frickin’ done._

+++

Castiel was grateful for his brother's warm car on the way to get dinner, and even more so for the blast of warm air as he entered the establishment. Even though it was a short walk from the apartment above the store to the car out back, and again later from the parking lot to the diner, he still welcomed the heat. He didn't think he'd ever get used to the cold. Gabriel dropped him off by the door and told him to find a table while he parked the car, and he did as he was told. He wasn't prepared for coming face to face with the guitar playing cowboy, though. _Holy hell, he's so good looking,_ Castiel thought as he stood, unmoving, at the door. He knew he was staring, and probably looked like an idiot, but he didn't care. All his faculties ceased to operate at that moment, and if he died right there, he wouldn't be at all surprised. He was only saved by his brother walking in the door and moving him out of the way as he practically shouted a greeting to the giant of a man walking towards them.

After a brief exchange between the two men, wherein Castiel stood firmly, practically growing roots into the floor tile, he learned the hulking man was THE Sam that Gabe had gone on and on about for months, and they were joining Sam and his brother, the hot guy, for dinner. _Oh, right, the hot guy has a name._ Castiel said the name a few times in his head. _Dean. Dean, Dean..._ he thought the name suited him. He looked like a Dean. They all ordered food, and he and Dean stared at each other some more, across the table from each other, while Sam and Gabriel talked.

“...sorry Darlin’ can we get that to go? There's an emergency.”

Castiel snapped out of his staring contest with Dean, and back to reality, at Gabriel's exchange with their server.

“Wait, what? What's happening, Gabe?”

“One of Sam’s clients has an emergency. I'm driving him. You and Dean can stay, and eat and talk.” Gabe gave Castiel a wink as he took the to-go box and started packing up his food.

“But…”

“Dean can drive you home after. Right, Dean?” Sam elbowed Dean in the ribs, and they exchanged a brief, silent communication with each other.

“Uh, yeah...yeah, no problem, Sammy. Go do your thing.”

Sam and Gabriel didn't waste any time leaving. Food all packed up, Sam threw some cash on the table and they were out the door and into Gabe's car within what seemed like seconds, leaving Dean and Castiel alone in the booth.

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

“So…” Castiel began.

“Yeah. I think our brothers just set us up.”

Castiel nodded, and glanced out the window where their brother's were laughing as they pulled out of the parking lot. “I think you're right. Not that, um, not that I mind.”

“No, no...uh, it's ok. It's good, I mean.”

“So…” Castiel said again.

“Cas...can I call you that? Cool name, by the way. Angels, right? Castiel and Gabriel?”

“Mmmhmm,” Castiel confirmed as he chewed his burger. “Mom and dad had a thing for religion.”

“Sammy and I are named after our grandparents. Not as cool as yours. You win the name round,” Dean said with a smile that crinkled the corners of his bright green eyes, and Castiel nearly choked. _Pretty eyes, freckles...the man is swoon-worthy._

When he could breathe again, Castiel replied, “I've never had anyone give me a nickname before. I like it. Thank you.”

“My pleasure, Cas. You know, I've been wondering...why were you buying so many pizzas that first time I saw you back in September?”

Castiel laughed, and launched into an explanation. They continued to eat, smile, and laugh as he and Dean recounted and explained each sighting. They found they were getting along rather well, after finally moving past their initial awkwardness, and continued to talk into the evening. Dean made it his personal mission to keep making Castiel smile so his eyes would twinkle. He didn't care how cheesy it was.

They were leaning over the table, deep in conversation, Dean's hand covering Castiel's, when the server came back to give them the check and ask if they wanted drinks to go. They both declined. “I'll take a slice of your cherry pie, though. Cas? You want one?”

“No, thank you. I'm still stuffed, and it's getting late…” he said with a glance at the clock on the wall. It was almost closing time.

“You're right. I'll take that pie to go,” Dean said with a nod to the server, then turned to face Castiel once more. “I didn't realize it was so late, man. It feels like we just sat down. I suppose I should get you home.”

Castiel nodded, feeling a little sad that their night was coming to an end. Since Sam had paid for his and Gabriel's food earlier, Castiel insisted he pay for his own and Dean’s. After leaving cash on the table and bundling up against the cold, Dean grabbed his pie and Castiel’s hand, and they made their way to the Impala.

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

Twenty minutes later, they found themselves sitting in the Impala in the parking lot behind the candy store where Cas’ apartment was located. Castiel was still wrapped in his parka, enjoying the car’s warm air and the comfortable silence that filled the car.

“I’m loathe to admit it, but I owe my brother for setting this up. Who knew your Sam was the one he was torturing with pranks all this time.” Castiel shook his head and chuckled.

“Yeah, he can hold his own, though. I think they've actually become pretty good friends. He talks about him a lot.”

They lapsed into silence again, but this time, it wasn’t quite as comfortable. The air was thick with apprehension.

“I guess I should get upstairs…” Cas said, ready to open the door, when Dean put a hand on his arm.

“I, uh...this is gonna sound stupid, but I don’t want to let you go yet.”

Castiel shook his head. “It doesn’t sound stupid, Dean.”

Dean hung his head, embarrassed. “It’s just...I don’t want you to disappear again.”

Castiel knew what he had to do, in that moment, to make sure his cute, guitar-playing cowboy knew that he wouldn’t disappear. He leaned over and covered Dean’s mouth with his own. When the sweet, slow kiss ended, he smiled.

“Come upstairs with me?”

Dean smiled back, killed the engine, and they walked hand in hand into the building.


End file.
